The country twang emanating from the radio filled the small, enclosed office, and Catherine grinned widely as she bopped around, dancing to the music she loved while she sang along, tidying as she went... "Well it was about five-to-five on Friday, we were all gettin' ready to go! Then the boss man started screamin', and his veins began to show! He said, 'You and you come with me! 'Cause you're gonna have to stay!' And my heart was thumpin' I was jumpin'..." She stomped twice while tidying up her supervisor's desk. "I had to get awaaaaay..."

She bopped her head side-to-side to the rhythm, enjoying herself though she was cleaning. "Some days you gotta dance... live it up when you get the chance! 'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense, and you're feelin' just a little too tense, you gotta loosen up those chains and dance!"

As she spun to continue her dance away from his desk, she gasped, catching sight of the person in the doorway. Her hand flew up to her heart, which was now pounding wildly from being startled. "Warrick!" she breathed, and reached over to turn the radio off. "I, uh... I know what you're gonna say. That I shouldn't be in Grissom's office, but..." She held up her hands to stop him. "Let me just tell you that Gil said I could be in here, as long as I tidied up a bit. So that's what I'm doing. I'm done with my case anyways, so it's not like I had anything better to do." She shrugged. "I mean, I know I've got paperwork to do, but... given the choice, I'd rather spend a lifetime cleaning Gil's office than do paperwork."

Warrick just studied the beautiful strawberry-blond in front of him, wanting to smile at her incessant babbling, but finding himself, for once, completely unable to. His voice came out soft and solemn as he gestured toward Grissom's couch. "Cath, why don't you sit down..."

His tone of voice caused her to freeze, her entire body tensing as she eyed him warily. "What's goin' on? You alright?"

He nodded his response, and continued to gesture toward the couch. "Sit down."

She complied, her wide eyes staring fearfully up at him. Her voice came out small... unusually small for the fiesty woman she normally was. "What's going on, Warrick? You're starting to scare me."

He pulled up a chair and sat across from her, his elbows resting on his thighs while he rubbed his hands together, staring at them as he wondered how to break the news to her. "Listen... Cath..." He closed his eyes, pausing. "There's been an accident."

Her hand immediately flew to her heart, feeling it once again thudding rapidly against her palm. "What kind of accident? Is it Lindsey? Is she okay?"

He nodded, reaching forward to grasp her hand. "Lindsey's fine, Cath. It's..." He swallowed hard, knowing how his next statement was going to effect her. "It's Grissom."

"Gil?" she whispered. "What happened to Gil? Is he okay?"

"He's been shot, Catherine."

"Oh God..." Her eyes fell to the floor of his office, the blue tiles disappearing momentarily behind a rush of gray water. She swallowed the enormous lump in her throat, and struggled to find her voice again. "Is he...?" She left the question hanging, unable to bring herself to finish the horrifying thought.

"He's still alive," Warrick assured her, squeezing her hand. "He's at Desert Palm right now, in surgery."

Catherine simply nodded, still staring at the floor as if seeing through it, and Warrick wondered if she'd even heard a word he'd said since he announced Grissom was shot. He ducked his head, attempting to regain eye contact with her. "Cath?"

Her sea-blue eyes finally reached his as her head slowly lifted. His shoulders sagged in empathy as he caught the wide-eyed, fearful look on her face. As he rose to his feet, she reached her hand up to him, her voice coming out meek and tiny. "Warrick?"

He held her hand tightly. "Yeah?"

Her sad, tearful eyes broke his heart. "Take me there?"

He nodded, pulling her up, placing an arm around her once she was on her feet. "Of course," he whispered. He gently led her out, waving away Nick and Sara when they approached to ask what was going on.

"How is he?" Warrick asked as the nurse emerged from Grissom's room. He rubbed up and down on Catherine's arm, who he was clutching tightly to his side.

"Well, we were able to successfully remove the bullet from his abdomen," the nurse announced, "But in the process, Mr. Grissom slipped into a coma."

"Oh God..." Catherine moaned, her tears beginning anew.

Warrick frowned sympathetically down at her, holding her tighter. "Is he going to be alright?" he asked next.

"We really don't know as of right now. We do know that the bullet was dangerously close to rupturing one of his kidneys..."

"Warrick..." Catherine whimpered, choking back a sob.

"Can we go in and see him?" He stroked Catherine's hair.

"Of course." She gestured toward the door.

Upon stepping inside, they were greeted with the overwhelming, sterile smell that was a staple of every hospital room. The only sounds in the room were that of their breathing, and the steady beep of Grissom's heart monitor. Catherine whimpered at the sight of him, templing her hands over her mouth and nose as her eyes once more filled to the brim with tears. "Gil..." she whispered shakily.

Warrick's heart broke as he watched tear after tear glide down her cheeks, forming rivulets down her angelic face. He could only imagine what she was feeling in that moment. As oblivious as the other CSIs seemed toward the relationship between Grissom and Catherine, Warrick saw it all. He knew how long they'd been friends... he'd seen how they were with each other... and he'd seen how Grissom interacted with Catherine's daughter, Lindsey.

They were most definitely in love. Though they probably wouldn't admit to it aloud, he could see it in their eyes. He could see the energy leaping and sparking between them every time they were in the same room... and he found it absolutely fascinating. But now his heart was breaking... for he knew that it was now, seeing Grissom laid out on a hospital bed clinging to life, that Catherine was finally realizing the extent of her feelings for the man. He could only watch forlornly as she stood there, hands templed over her nose and mouth, tears running down her face as she sobbed inaudibly. He wanted to reach out to her... he wanted to comfort her... but was unsure of what she really needed.

"Cath?"

Without turning to meet his eyes, she reached a hand out behind her, his cue to draw her into his arms. He held her tightly, arms wrapped around her shoulders while hers secured themselves around his waist... and it was there, pressed against his chest, that she finally let loose and began to cry... her loud, heart-wrenching sobs piercing his heart with a sadness he'd never experienced.

He stroked her silken strawberry-blond hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, rocking her back and forth as if comforting a child waking from a nightmare. "It'll be okay, Cath..." he whispered, though he knew his voice betrayed the confidence he so desperately wanted to have. What if he was wrong?

"What happened to him?" she wailed.

He squinted his eyes shut at the pain and desperation in her voice, and held her tighter. "We were at the crime scene," he began softly... "Working that 407 in the suburbs. Grissom went down into the basement to check some stuff out while he had me do a sweep of the upstairs bedrooms. Apparently one of the suspects was still hiding down there, and the first officer on the scene missed him. When I heard the gunshot go off though, I booked it down there as fast as my legs could carry me."

"Why?" she wailed next, her tears beginning to soak through his shirt.

He pulled back slightly, craning his neck to look down at the top of her head. "Why what, Cath?" he asked tenderly.

"Why did this have to happen? Why today? Why would it have to happen ANYTIME?"

He kissed her citrus-scented hair. "I don't know, Cath," he whispered... "But everything's gonna be fine."

She nodded, pulling away from him to stare sadly up into his eyes. He frowned sympathetically, the look on her face tearing him up inside, and reached up to wipe her tears away. "Warrick?" she asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you suppose I could have awhile alone with him?" Upon reading the question in his eyes, she clarified. "It's just that, I've heard that people in comas can still hear what you say... so, if something bad SHOULD happen... there's some stuff that he needs to know."

He nodded his understanding. "Of course," he whispered, and pulled completely away, grasping her hands in his. "I'll go back to the lab then, and let everyone know what's going on. If you need me..."

She smiled weakly. "I know. I'll call your cell."

"Okay," he whispered, and pressed a kiss to her forehead before releasing her hands, smiling sadly at her before he made his exit, closing the door behind him.

Catherine watched the door momentarily, waiting until Warrick's footsteps faded away before she took a seat at Gil's bedside. She reached forward to take his hand, eyes tearing up at how cold it felt inside hers. "Gil..." she whispered, squeezing his clammy hand. "It's me... Catherine. I really hope you can hear me right now, because I have something really important that I need to say..."

She took a deep breath, then continued. "I don't know if you'll come out of this just fine, or if you'll leave me like Eddie did. But, no matter what happens... you need to know this." She chuckled grimly, her voice shaky. "I don't know why I'm so nervous about doing this. You're not awake to laugh at me."

She swallowed the lump that was creeping up her throat, and squeezed his hand a little tighter. "We've been through a lot, you and me..." she whispered. "It seems like I've known you my whole life, but then again... my life began when you came into it.

"Gil, you were the first guy to see me for who I really was... not just some Barbie doll sliding around a pole. You drew me into this world... this world of solving intricate, complicated puzzles... and just completely changed my life. You made me realize that I was so much better than I was allowing myself to be. You turned my life around and gave me the most incredible opportunity. I'll forever be grateful for the chance you gave to me.

"Over the years, our friendship has become nothing short of complicated and confusing, but so much more than incredible. You saw me through the lowest points in my life... the drugs, the dancing... Eddie and all those nights getting beat up. You saw me through it all and constantly assured me I'd come out on top. And that means everything to me, Gil. Your faith in me kept up my faith in myself... and I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for that.

"I need to say this now, Gil, before I lose my nerve, so here it is... I love you." She sniffled, eyes brimming with tears once more. She quickly reached up to wipe them away as they streamed down her cheeks. "You mean absolutely everything to me, on every possible level. You made me into a better person... you saw me through my troubled marriage--you love my daughter as your own... and for all that, I'll love you forever." She paused, her voice becoming lost behind the sobs threatening to overwhelm her.

"But you've gotta know, Gil... I can't do this on my own. As strong as you've made me, I can't do this by myself. I can't live without you. I can't live without hearing your voice everyday... without seeing your face. Those wonderful lips of yours... how they quirk into that adorable half-smirk or shift into a pout. I love your lips. And I can't live without seeing that cleft in your chin... that beautiful, deep impression that sets you apart from every other man I've laid eyes on. I love that cleft. And your eyes..." She sniffled. "Dear God, those eyes, Gil. I've never seen eyes like yours, on ANYBODY. Man, woman, child, animal.... no other creature on this earth has eyes like yours. And every time I look into them, I get lost. I start to drown in them... and I can't live without that feeling. That feeling that, when I'm looking into your eyes, time has stopped and the world is flawless.

"The lines around your eyes are adorable too, Gil. You may think they're a sign of aging, but I've got news for you... you've always had those lines around your eyes. And I love them, too. They're just another wonderful part of your uniqueness. I love seeing how deep I can make them go, when I can get you to really smile. It's almost like a contest I have with myself. I love seeing those lines around your eyes."

She sniffled and wiped at her eyes once more, struggling to keep her emotions from consuming her. "Simply said Gil, I wouldn't be able to survive if you weren't here with me every day. So, now that you know that, you've gotta wake up. You can't leave me here. I need you... Lindsey needs you. You've been the only REAL 'Daddy' she's had... Lord knows Eddie couldn't fill the job... he never had the time. But you did. You devoted so much time to her... to us... that you can't leave now. There's so much more time, Gil... so much more time we HAVEN'T spent together. So much more time that we're MEANT to spend together." Tears spilled over onto her cheeks as she whimpered, "So you've gotta wake up..." She squinted her eyes shut tight as she closed both hands around his right hand, laying her forehead on it as she sobbed, "Please wake up, Gil..."

"Warrick!" Nick called as he and Sara strode side-by-side toward their colleague. "Warrick, man, what the hell was goin' on?"

Warrick sighed, diving right into it... "Grissom was shot."

Both CSI's eyes went wide, both sets of eyebrows shooting straight upwards on their foreheads. "WHAT?!" Sara practically shrieked.

The two men glanced around as several heads snapped up to look at them from several different rooms within the lab. Warrick then turned his attention back to Sara, nodding and relaying the events of the night to them. They just listened intently, eyes still slightly wide as he went into detail about what had occurred at the crime scene, finally sharing a look when he'd finished. "Well is he okay?"

Warrick shrugged. "Don't know... he's in a coma right now."

"Oh God..." Sara murmured, hand over her heart. She glanced around for a head of strawberry-blond hair. "Where's Catherine?"

"At the hospital, with Grissom," he replied.

"Can we go see him?" Nick asked.

Glancing down at his watch, Warrick shook his head. "Probably not. Visiting hours are set to end any minute, now. They're probably gonna kick Catherine outta there pretty soon."

"Excuse me, Miss?" a young nurse poked her head inside the room.

Catherine's head snapped up, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "Yes?"

"Visiting hours are over now, so I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"But..." Panic consumed Catherine. She couldn't leave him... no way. There was no way she would leave his side until he woke up. "Couldn't I just stay a little longer?"

"I'm sorry," the nurse replied, shaking her head sadly. "Mr. Grissom can't have anyone here now except for family."

And, before she could stop it, the lie tumbled forth from her lips. "But I'm his wife..."

"Oh!" Her eyes widened slightly, and she immediately held up a hand in apology. "I am SO sorry, Mrs. Grissom! Of course, then... of course you can stay. If you need anything, please let me know."

"Thank you," Catherine sighed, and turned back to Gil once more after the nurse had made her exit. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Cath, it's Warrick... are you alright?"

She placed a hand over her forehead, sliding it down to rub her weary eyes. "Yeah Warrick, I'm fine. I'm still with Gil."

"Yeah, I figured you would be. I'm gonna come and get you, okay?"

Panic seized her once more. "Why?"

"Well... because visiting hours are over. And you need to sleep."

"No..." She shook her head. "No, I already took care of it, it's okay. They're letting me stay."

"But Cath, you need to sleep."

"Then I'll sleep here," she insisted. Her voice broke with tears. "I don't wanna leave him, Warrick."

"I know, honey," he whispered. "But you need to sleep, and you won't get any if you stay in that hospital room. I'm coming to get you."

"But..."

"No 'buts,'" he interrupted. "If anything changes with his condition, they'll call the lab. You're gonna come back here and get some sleep."

She sighed, realizing just how heavy her eyelids were. "Fine," she sighed

"Okay. I'll be there in a bit."

Catherine stayed in Gil's office for the day, sleeping fitfully on his leather sofa. Her sister Nancy brought Lindsey over for awhile after school so she could see her mother. After Catherine relayed to both of them what had happened, they stayed with her awhile longer before heading out, Nancy offering to take care of Lindsey as long as she needed. Catherine, ever so grateful, thanked her sister profusely before kissing her daughter and sending her off for the night.

She then went back to her spot curled on his couch for a few more hours, before waking herself up and deciding to get some coffee. She needed to wake herself up so she could go back and see how Gil was doing. She hadn't heard one word from the hospital about his condition, so she resolved to go down there on her own.

She sighed as she stirred her coffee, staring down into the brown liquid while she sat at the table in the break room, glancing up when Nick and Sara entered the room. Sara offered a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder, Nick doing the same a moment later before sitting in the chair adjacent to hers. "How ya doin'?" he asked softly.

"I'm okay..." she replied in a whisper. Watching his gaze flit to the very obvious bags under her eyes, she emitted a small smile. "I'm very, very tired, but I'm okay." Glancing down at her coffee, she whispered into the cup, "It's Gil I'm worried about."

Sara watched the woman next to her... a woman whom she'd fought with too many times to count, but whom she always considered to be a maternal figure... struggle with her emotions, a tear landing in her coffee as she sniffled. She reached out and rubbed her back comfortingly. "I'm sure he'll be okay, Catherine..." she murmured.

Just at that moment, the phone rang, diverting everyone's attention. Catherine's eyes grew wide, her heart rate increasing its speed as she prayed it was the hospital... and Nick rose from his seat to go answer it. "Crime lab, Nick Stokes speaking..." After listening to the voice on the other end for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Catherine Grissom?" he repeated, shooting a puzzled look in Catherine's direction.

Her head snapped up from its previous place on the table and she leapt to her feet, lunging for the phone and yanking it away from Nick. "This is Catherine!" She paused, listening to the voice on the other end before sighing in relief, placing a hand over her forehead. "Oh, thank God." Another pause, then, "Yes... thank you, I'll be right there," before she hung up and handed the phone back to Nick.

He gave her a dubious look. "Well... Mrs. Grissom... good news?"

"He's awake. In a lot of pain, but awake."

He nodded. "Well that's good." He paused, folding his arms across his chest. "And when did you guys get married again?" he asked, voice raising slightly in pitch at the end of his inquiry.

She smirked. "Shut up, it was the only way they'd let me see him after visiting hours."

"You guys are really that good of friends, huh?"

She smiled halfway, her perfectly shaped brow raising slightly. "The best, Nicky. The best."

"Mr. Grissom? Your wife is here to see you."

His brow furrowed in utter confusion. "My wife? I don't--"

"Hi," breathed that familiar voice.

"Hi..." His surprised expression was met with a sheepish smile from the strawberry blond that stood in the doorway, and she nodded briefly at the nurse as she excused herself and left the two of them alone. Gil took a moment to study her. Fairly noticeable bags had formed under her normally dazzling eyes, which, to his dismay had lost their luster. Lines of worry wrinkled her forehead, and she looked tense as she slowly made her way over to stand by his bedside.

"So... mind telling me when exactly we got hitched?" he asked, sporting an amused smirk, a slight twinkle in his eye. He had to admit, it secretly thrilled him that Catherine had called herself his wife... even though it was only an act.

"Right around the time they said I couldn't see you if I wasn't family."

"I see..." he murmured, nodding absent-mindedly, going off into space for a moment. After a beat or two of silence had passed between them, he glanced up at her again. "So, how did our wedding turn out?"

She smirked, feeling the familiarity return to their relationship, and she gingerly sat down on the bed beside him. "The wedding was beautiful. Lots of white lillies..."

"Your favorites," he murmured.

She smiled at the fact that he would remember such a minute detail. "Yeah... although Warrick and Nick got a little trashed at the reception and attempted to start a conga line, and you were kind of a bad dancer..."

"I'm sorry," he jokingly apologized.

"It's okay," she replied, a wicked glint in her eye. "You more than made up for it on our wedding night."

His pulse skyrocketed, and he cursed under his breath as the rapidly increasing beep of his heart monitor revealed that fact to Catherine. She giggled at this. "Gil..." she murmured once her laughter had ceased. "How ya doin'?"

"Fine for now..." he replied. "Once that morphine wears off, though, it'll be a different story."

She smiled. "Seriously, Gil."

"I think I should be asking how YOU are, Cath." His eyes traced her facial features. "You don't look like yourself."

Her smile slowly faded and she looked down at her lap. "I'm not myself. I haven't been for the past few days." When she looked back up at him, her blue eyes were filled with unshed tears. "This scared the hell out of me, Gil. I don't know what I would've done if... if you had..." She struggled with her words, unable to speak her morbid thoughts aloud, instead opting for, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

A tear trickled down her cheek, and without conscious thought he reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb stopping her tears. His heart was racing at her words, but he fought to maintain the banter they were so used to. "Oh come on, Cath, you could run that lab twice as well as I could."

"That's not what I meant, Gil, and you know it," she whispered, knowing he was attempting humor but too shaken up to respond to it lightheartedly. Eighteen years of fighting it and trying to hide it crumbled down around her, and she was powerless to stop her next statement from tumbling from her lips. "I can't live without you."

"Cath..." he murmured, seemingly floored by what he was hearing.

She grabbed at his hand desperately, scooting closer to him. "I should've been there, Gil..."

"Why?"

"To protect you... like you did for me." She still remembered all too well the last time they worked a case together. They'd heard what they thought to be gunshots, and without thinking Grissom pushed her against a car, covering her body with his to shield her.

"No, Cath."

"Why? What makes it okay for you to risk your life for me and wrong for me to try to protect you? Is your male ego that sensitive?"

He shook his head. "I didn't risk my life for you, Cath..." he murmured, almost apologetically. "There were no real gunfires. No threats."

"Yes, but you didn't know that at the time," she argued, squeezing his hand as she scooted even closer. "At the time you thought we were in real danger, and your first instinct was to throw yourself on top of me... to shield me."

He shrugged. "That's different."

She scoffed at this. "Why? Because you're a man, and you have to protect the weak damsel in distress?"

"No," he replied strongly. "It's because I--" He stopped cold, stunned at what he almost revealed.

"What?" She was studying him intently, knowing he was about to say something life-altering. "Gil, what?"

He chuckled nervously, looking down at his lap. He sucked in a breath when he felt Catherine's hand on his face, turning his eyes back up to meet hers. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, and Catherine moved just slightly to close the remaining distance between them. Her hip rested against his, their bodies just inches away, and she placed a hand on the mattress on either side of him as she began to lean toward him, her face hovering over his.

"Gil..." she whispered, a smile curling the edges of her lips. "Say it."

He searched her eyes momentarily, reading there what was plainly written for him to see, before his own lips began to curve in a smile. "I shielded you, Catherine," he began, a note of confidence in his voice, "Because a man will do anything to protect the woman he loves."

He barely had time to finish his confession before their lips came crashing together, both of them simultaneously sucking in a breath through their noses... shocked at the electricity their lips together created. They kissed passionately, the eighteen years-worth of tension crumbling down around them, every line they'd drawn so carefully between them blurred into non-existence.

His hand reached her hair and he was awarded with a contented sigh against his lips before his fingers tangled in her strawberry blond locks. At his prompt, she parted her lips and their tongues caressed lovingly... intimately. When the need for air became too great, they broke apart. "I heard what you said, you know..." he whispered, his forehead meeting hers as he gently tugged on her silken strands.

"What?"

"Lastnight... when you were here. I felt you holding my hand... and I heard what you said."

She smiled, ducking her head sheepishly while a blush colored her cheeks, before she once more met his eyes. "Then why were you so nervous?"

He cocked his head to the side, his expression conveying his unasked question, and she grinned. "Just now... before you told me you loved me. Why were you so nervous, if you already knew I felt the same?"

He shrugged, his eyes glancing down at their clasped hands. "I guess I was just afraid it was all a dream... or maybe a morphine-induced hallucination." He grinned... that adorable, boyish grin that always could sear her heart.

She giggled, and leaned forward to brush his lips with hers. "It's not a dream, Gil... OR a hallucination."

"So this is real, then? After all this time, we're finally here... together?"

"Yes," she whispered, her loving gaze piercing his soul. "We're here together, and now that we are, we're never gonna be apart."

"Never?" he asked in mock incredulousness. "What happens when I have to go to the bathroom?"

For the first time in the past two days, she threw her head back and was able to really, truly laugh, her heart soaring in his presence. When she brought her eyes back down to meet his, the laughter slowly faded as she dived into his royal blue depths, and she leaned forward once more to capture his lips with hers.

The crime lab was already bustling with activity, and the graveyard shift had yet to begin. Catherine and Gil strode confidently down the halls hand-in-hand, smiles of almost a triumphant air playing across their faces... as if they'd fought the battle of their lives and won. They were neither oblivious to the stares they were getting or in the mood to respond to them, so they just continued on toward the break room, where they met up with Jim Brass and their 'kids.' "Hi, everybody!" Catherine sighed, a broad smile gracing her radiant features.

The attention of the other four was immediately gained, and soon a small crowd formed around them as everyone took their turn asking Gil how he was doing. He held up his hand to halt the barrage of questions being hurled at his brain at a hundred miles an hour. "I'm just fine, you guys, really," he replied, his uncharacteristic smile then catching their attention. "The doctors said the bullet missed all my vital organs, so I was pretty damn lucky to come out of it just fine."

When he locked eyes with Catherine and they shared a loving smile, Nick's eyebrows quirked upward. "Well that's good. And, um..." He cleared his throat. "Mrs. Grissom? How are you doing?"

Catherine grinned, clutching Gil's hand tightly. "I'm just fine, Nicky..." she assured him. She met Warrick's eyes and the two shared a smile, Catherine winking at him playfully.

"Yes, both of us are doing just fine," Gil replied. He held up a finger, his head cocking just slightly as a half smirk played across his lips. "And Nicky, it's actually a good thing you're getting used to calling her that..."

Nick's eyebrows raised. "Oh really? And why's that?" he challenged, grinning ear to ear as he folded his arms across his chest.

The pair chuckled and shared a look, Gil wrapping his right arm around Catherine's shoulders while she wrapped her left arm around his waist. Jim Brass chuckled and shook his head at the pair as they continued to smile at one another, before turning back to the team. Without broaching Nick's question, Gil smirked at them. "Uh, why don't we meet in the layout room in about ten minutes for assignments, huh?" he suggested, then began to lead Catherine out.

She tossed a dazzling smile at them over her shoulder, and rubbed up and down on Gil's back as they began to make their exit. It was then that Sara's eyes caught on the mysterious sparkle on Catherine's left hand. Her mouth dropped, and she pointed to it wordlessly, glancing at the other three guys to see if they'd just witnessed what she did.

But Nick and Warrick weren't paying attention. "What do you think Gris meant by that?" Nick asked of Warrick.

Warrick shrugged his response, while Sara continued to open and close her mouth, speechless by what she'd just seen. Jim, being the first to see the ring, shook his head and grinned at the looks on each of their faces. "And you call yourselves CSIs..." he scolded mockingly in a low voice, continuing to shake his head as he left the breakroom.

"I love you," Gil whispered to Catherine as they made their way toward his office, dusting her lips and cheeks with feathery kisses.

"I love you too," she whispered back with a dreamy smile.

They pulled away to smile into each other's eyes, and just as they reached his office door, they heard the slow, simultaneous exclamation from the breakroom. "Oh my God!"

The pair then shared a laugh, before Gil unlocked the door to his office, threw Catherine a devastatingly handsome grin, and pulled her inside.

THE END!!